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INSPECTION REPORT GEORGE DIXON PRIMARY SCHOOL LEA Area

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INSPECTION REPORT GEORGE DIXON PRIMARY SCHOOL LEA Area INSPECTION REPORT GEORGE DIXON PRIMARY SCHOOL LEA area: Birmingham Unique reference number: 103200 Headteacher: Mr H Heaven Lead inspector: L A Furness Dates of inspection: 2-4 February 2004 Inspection number: 260651 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2004 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. George Dixon Primary School 2 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Type of school: Primary School category: Independent Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 263 School address: City Road Edgbaston Birmingham Postcode: B17 8LE Telephone number: 0121 4292775 Fax number: 0121 4344205 Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Vimia Dodd Date of previous inspection: 28/ 09/1998 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL This is an average size, multicultural school catering for 263 pupils (135 boys and128 girls) between the ages of four and eleven. Thirteen different cultural backgrounds are represented in the school with the majority of pupils of Asian Indian or Pakistani and Black Caribbean or African heritage. Most pupils speak English as an additional language, with 14 per cent at an early stage of learning English. There are also 26 refugee and asylum seekers in the school. A high proportion of pupils joins and leaves the school other than at the usual admission and transfer times (termed ‘mobility’). The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties (10.7 per cent) is below the national average and the number of pupils with statements (3) is also below the national average. The area in which the school is situated is socially and economically disadvantaged and the proportion of pupils eligible for free schools meals is above average. Children’s attainment when they begin school is below that expected for their age, especially in the areas of communication, language and literacy. The school has gained a number of School Achievement Awards over recent years and is involved in the government’s Excellence in Cities (EiC) project. George Dixon Primary School 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 8245 L A Furness Lead inspector English Citizenship 19431 J Holmes Lay inspector 33225 E Greensides Team inspector Science Art and Design, Design and Technology Music Physical Education 32507 C Quigley Foundation Stage Geography History Religious Education 33111 S Wilson Team inspector English as an additional language Special Educational Needs Mathematics Information and Communication Technology The inspection contractor was: Focus Education (UK) Limited 113-115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth OL3 6BD Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’, which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). George Dixon Primary School 4 REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8 Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12 Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 17 PART C: THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN AREAS OF LEARNING AND SUBJECTS 19 AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE AND SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 AND 2 George Dixon Primary School 5 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT The school’s effectiveness is satisfactory. Its caring ethos results in the good personal and social development of its pupils. All pupils are very well included in all aspects of school life. Teaching overall has a satisfactory impact on pupils’ learning and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. The school provides satisfactory value for money. The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: · The school greatly values and makes the most of the diverse range of cultural backgrounds within the school. · The standards that pupils attain in English and mathematics are below those expected for their age by Year 6. · A rich and broad curriculum, based on the pupils’ cultural backgrounds, leads to good standards in art and design, religious education and history. · Provision for pupils with special educational needs and those who are at an early stage of English language is good. These pupils are well supported by able support staff. · Assessment information is not used as effectively as it should be to impact upon learning. Pupils are not sufficiently involved in assessing their own learning and knowing how to improve the quality of their work. · Although satisfactory, monitoring and evaluation procedures do not focus sufficiently on the impact of teaching on learning. · Pupils’ personal qualities are very effectively promoted. They enjoy school and behave well. The school was last inspected in September 1998 and since then all of the key issues identified have been satisfactorily rectified. School improvement is satisfactory overall but there has been good improvement in developing pupils’ spirituality and information and communication technology and religious education provision. STANDARDS ACHIEVED Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall, with evidence of good achievement. It is good in Years 1 and 2, but satisfactory in Years 3 to 6, due to the differences in the quality of teaching. By Year 6, standards are below those expected in English and mathematics and match those expected in science, information and communication technology (ICT) and geography. In art and design, history and religious education, standards are above those expected for the pupils’ age and achievement is good. In design and technology, music and physical education there was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on standards or achievement. In the Foundation Stage, although achievement is satisfactory, the majority of children attain standards that are below the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception. Results in National all schools similar schools Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English D D E E mathematics C C C C science D B D D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. In Year 2 in 2003, pupils’ performance matched the national average in reading, but was below the national average in writing and mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ performance was well above average in reading, above average in mathematics and matched the average in writing. In science, on the basis of teacher assessment, performance was below the national average, but above average in comparison with the results of similar schools. Pupils George Dixon Primary School 6 currently in Year 2 are attaining standards that match those expected for their age in reading, mathematics and science, but in writing they are attaining standards that are below those expected for their age. Achievement overall is good. Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good. Pupils like school; they behave well and are eager to learn. Although most are punctual, attendance rates are low and this negatively affects some pupils’ education. QUALITY OF EDUCATION The quality of education is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with good features particularly in Years 1 to 3 and in religious education lessons. The unsatisfactory management of time, too much teacher talk and unsatisfactory management of behaviour led to unsatisfactory teaching in some lessons. The use of assessment information to inform future learning is inconsistent resulting in uneven progress in Years 3 to 6. A particular strength is the way that the teaching assistants and support staff are deployed to support pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. In the Foundation Stage, the teacher and support assistant work effectively together and teaching is satisfactory. The overall quality of the curriculum is good. The curriculum is being developed well through a range of effective innovative practices which link different subjects in a coherent way, often through art and design and the performing arts such as dance and music. The school has effective systems in place to check on the health, safety and well being of pupils. The school’s partnership with parents is good and constructive links have been established with the local community and other schools. LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Leadership and management are satisfactory. The head teacher and key staff provide clear direction for the school’s work but monitoring and evaluation systems need to be more rigorous. Governors have a sound understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and fulfil their legal obligations. They are good friends to the school and a number are significantly involved in its work. PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL Parents have confidence in the school and are pleased with the quality of education their children receive. They have particularly good opinions of the head teacher and many speak of how sorry they will be when he retires later this year. Pupils are also positive about the school and like that their views are sought and acted upon. IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED The most important things the school should do to improve are to: · Raise standards in English and mathematics.
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